Conventional hair dye applicator devices that utilize a compressible bottle containing liquid dye are well known in the art. However, such devices typically do not provide means for controlling application of the dye to the user""s hair in an acceptable manner. Furthermore, these prior art devices have no controllable means to minimize dye from coming into contact with the user""s scalp which is undesirable and may irritate the user""s skin.
The invention relates to a hair dye applicator that is used by an operator to uniformly and controllably present a liquid dye to the operator""s hair or to the hair of another person. The hair dye applicator includes a compressible air container with a fluid container designed to contain the liquid dye positioned within the air container. A manifold with a first end in fluid communication with the liquid dye is removably attached to the air container. The manifold includes an inside surface opening onto the first end, an outside surface, and a conduit communicating with the inside surface and the first end which provides fluid communication between the first end and at least one orifice extending from the inside surface to the outside surface. The manifold further includes a first lip and a second lip on the outside surface, with the first lip surrounding the orifice and the second lip surrounding the first lip.
The hair dye applicator further includes a flexible fluid dispensing member having an inside surface, an outside surface, and a plurality of apertures passing from the inside surface to the outside surface that presents the dye to the hair. The inside surface of the member contacts the outside surface of the manifold including the first and second lips such that a resilient seal is formed until the dye is forced through the orifices when the member allows the dye to pass over the first lip and through the plurality of apertures. This allows the applicator to be positioned in any orientation during the dyeing process (e.g., upside-down) while maintaining a continuous flow of dye from the fluid container to the hair being dyed.
The dispensing member can further include dye presentation grooves positioned along a longitudinal axis and on the outside surface of the dispensing member which help present the dye from the apertures to the hair.
The fluid container can include an integral interface member that forms a seal between the air container and the manifold. The air container can further include a one-way valve that allows air into the air container, such that the air container can be successively squeezed so that the dye is continuously and controllably provided to the dye presentation grooves.
According to another aspect of one embodiment of the present invention, the dispensing member includes a plurality of bristles extending therefrom to comb the hair to allow the dye to transfer onto the hair. In one embodiment, a first row of bristles having a first height is positioned along a longitudinal axis of the dispensing member, and at least a second row of bristles having a second height is also positioned along the longitudinal axis, the first and second rows being offset relative to each other along a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The bristles also maintain the scalp a predetermined distance away from the dye presentation grooves such that a minimal amount of dye is presented to the scalp.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the dispensing member includes a keying member positioned along a longitudinal axis thereof and the manifold has a groove along its longitudinal axis that accepts the keying member such that the dispensing member is positioned on the manifold in a predetermined orientation.
Additionally, the present invention provides a method of dyeing hair comprising the steps of providing a collapsible container carrying dye within a flexible container and a brush having a plurality of teeth for combing hair, pumping the flexible container, thereby compressing the collapsible container with air pressure and forcing the dye out of the collapsible container which opens a valve with the force of the dye to move the dye into at least one channel in proximity to the teeth. The method further includes the steps of moving the teeth of the brush through the hair to transfer dye to the hair, releasing the flexible container therein allowing air to enter the container through a second valve, and repeating the process from pumping the flexible container until the dyeing is complete.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a hair dyeing apparatus is provided having an enclosure which includes an open end and an aperture. A fluid container that contains a liquid dye is positioned within the open end and a manifold is connected to the open end of the enclosure in fluid communication with the liquid dye. A brush cover is removably positioned over the manifold such that the brush cover is in fluid communication with the fluid container during the dyeing process. A resilient bellows which includes an orifice is positioned to be in communication with the aperture such that when the bellows is compressed with the operator""s finger covering the orifice, the liquid dye is forced through the brush cover to the hair to be dyed.
In accordance with another embodiment, a hair dye applicator device is provided which includes a collapsible fluid container for containing a liquid dye. The fluid container has an open end for allowing egress of the liquid dye. A one-way valve is provided which communicates with the open end of the fluid container for allowing egress of the liquid dye. A compressible air container encases the fluid container and includes an aperture there through. As the air container is compressed with the user""s finger covering the aperture, the fluid container collapses to force the liquid dye out of the fluid container.
Preferably, the air container is formed from a resilient material and fills with air through the aperture as the user releases compressive force on the air container with the finger not covering the aperture. The one-way valve substantially prevents the liquid dye from reentering the fluid container.
A manifold is further provided in communication with the one-way valve and a brush cover is removably positioned over the manifold. The brush cover is in fluid communication with the liquid dye during application of the liquid dye to the hair to be dyed. The manifold includes an internal conduit that receives the liquid dye at a first end of the manifold and further includes a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with the conduit that extend to an outside surface of the manifold. The orifices in one embodiment increase in diameter as a function of the distance from the first end of the manifold.
A brush cover is further provided having an inside surface and an outside surface and a plurality of apertures extending from the inside surface to the outside surface. The apertures are in fluid communication with the orifices of the manifold during the dyeing process. In one embodiment, the brush cover includes a groove along the longitudinal axis of the cover in communication with at least one of the plurality of apertures. An alignment mechanism is provided for ensuring the brush cover is positioned over the manifold in a predetermined direction.
In one embodiment, the manifold is removably attachable to the air container and the device includes an alignment mechanism to align the manifold on the air container in a predetermined orientation. Preferably, the alignment mechanism includes a first protruding member extending from the manifold and a second protruding member extending from the air container. The first and second protruding members contact to prevent rotation of the manifold onto the air container upon reaching the predetermined orientation.
A jacket can optionally be provided which encases at least a portion of the air container. The jacket has an aperture there through which communicates with the orifice of the air container. In one embodiment, a bellows is provided on the jacket and the aperture passes through the bellows.
In one embodiment, the brush and the manifold is formed as an integral single brush/manifold unit. A plurality of apertures extend directly from an internal conduit to the outside surface in proximity to teeth. The brush/manifold unit can have a coating.
Thus, the present invention provides a hair dye applicator having the immediate advantages of efficiently and conveniently dispensing a liquid dye to the user""s hair in a controlled manner due to a unique valving system. Further, the hair dye applicator of the present invention minimizes the amount of dye contacting the user""s scalp during the dyeing process.